Artificial Hate
by Ninja.Writings
Summary: Her mother risked it all.  She hated her family and what they believed in.  He didn't even stay to help her figure it all out.
1. Chapter 1

She passed. Kaie passed the second part of the Chunin Exams. It was a relief, but at the same time, it worried her. She had raised Kaie to be naïve and that was going to be the ultimate end of her only daughter. Kaie couldn't go on to the next part; she couldn't bear the thought of losing her baby. Kaie was the only hope she had left; her last savior from this wretched tradition. Everything was going to change, for better or for worse, tonight.

The preparations were already made. Kisho was informed and ready to play his part. She watched as the teacher congratulated his student. Yasou and Sorano cheered for the jewel of the Sitoke clan as she walked wearily back to her team. First, they would talk about the event that had just happened. Then, Kaie would beam with confidence as they showered her with praise. Finally, Kisho would cover what Kaie needs to do for the final exam next week. It was all a happy moment, but she couldn't watch for much longer, she had to go fulfill her part.

Her husband noticed the distress in her demeanor as she cooked dinner. He contacted everyone he needed to and all he could do was wait. If this plan failed, who knew what would happen to them and their child. The elders weren't very forgiving people.

"Mother! Father!" Kaie's happy voice filled the silence of the huge house. The nine-year-old ran into the dining area of the kitchen where her father greeted her warmly. Her mother loaded the table with Kaie's favorite foods and Kaie eagerly ate away.

A single tear fell down her face as she watched Kaie's last happy moment. Soon she would have to put that horrid facade on one more time. After this, it would all be over. Kaie wouldn't have to endure the torment of this clan, not until she was ready to handle it. But for now, this was the best choice for her. She took a deep breath before addressing her daughter for the last time.

"There's something we're more worried about than your exams," she interrupted Kaie quietly.

Kaie dropped her chopsticks, knowing the new direction of the conversation. "Can't this wait until after the exams?" she asked just as quietly.

"Kaie," her husband explained, "I know you don't want to do it, but you have to for the clan. You must follow through with the Sitoke tradition before you become a Chunin."

"Well I don't like the tradition," Kaie muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" she asked in a harsh tone. The pain of what was going to happen next filled in her chest. "Don't you know your current position in this clan?"

"I don't care," Kaie was on the verge of tears.

"It's a disgrace to listen to the elders scold me!" she raised her voice. She wouldn't be shocked if she was crying too, it was beginning to become too much.

"I'd rather die!" Kaie yelled back, unaware of the false pretense of her words. Unknown to Kaie, her mother was happy to hear that come out of her mouth. But she couldn't sit here and admire her daughter now, there were more important things she needed to do.

"So be it!" she grabbed a knife, despising her current words and actions. She charged at her daughter with no intention of killing her. Kaie stood up and ran in fear to her room, locking the door as soon as she closed it. Her mother fell to her knees, dropping the knife. She was comforted by her husband and both of them heard Kaie cast a sealing jutsu on her room. After about ten minutes, Kaie stopped stirring in her room and the two adults let out a deep breath.

For a moment, there was silence through the house before she broke it with her tears. Her husband took her into his arms and sat there as she emptied herself of the fear and sorrow that had occupied her mind for the past month when they first made the plan. There was still a little time before the next phase moved forward.

Their grief was interrupted by the sound of shattering glass. She stood up immediately and ran into the front room. It was too early for them to make their move. The fear of the plan failing overwhelmed her as she made it outside to see a large sword make contact with Kaie's shoulder.

"Kisame," she cursed as she went to stop his next attack. She was successful as Kaie ran off to the compound gates.

"Now why did you stop me?" the attacker asked with mock hurt in his voice.

"Who said you could touch her?" she vehemently questioned. "You're job is done here, Kisame."

"It's just a small scrape on her arm," he shifted his weight. "I wasn't going to kill her."

"Leave now," he voice didn't falter.

"Alright," Kisame sheathed his sword. "I look forward to working with you again as head of the Sitoke Clan. Of course, I don't think my colleague is as restrained as I am."

She glared at him, hoping his remark was wrong. A sharp shriek tore through the night sky and she recognized it as Kaie. Upon her arrival, there was a long gash in Kaie's back. The ninja behind her had a kunai in his arm. She was surprised to see her daughter fight back in her condition. Kaie continued to run forward as the ninja followed. Ready to kill him with a kunai of her own, the ninja was captured in a choke hold by someone else.

"It seems like they figured out who Kaie was," a voice addressed her. The smell of sulfur reached her nose. It was Kisho. "I would assume they brought friends. Go after Kaie, I got this cheerful man."

"Don't take too long," she warned the young blond man before running off.

"Yes ma'am," Kisho smiled. He turned his attention to the ninja in his arms. The ninja struggled to break free from Kisho's grasp. "Now let's see if you have a pretty face."

Kisho brought the ninja to the ground and removed his mask. The man had a scruffy face and his dark hair was matted to his face. Kisho sighed before breaking the ninja's neck with one turn of the head. He was careful not to get any blood on his clothes; it would have been a nightmare to try and get out later.

"Clean shaven men are more attractive," Kisho stood up and lit a cigarette. "Now off to, hopefully, something more entertaining."

She found Kaie in the misty forest outside the compound. Her daughter staggered with every step and was barely able to stand up; it was obvious that Kaie was loosing blood and quickly. Kaie brought up her hands to make signs for the relocation jutsu, but it failed. She swiftly performed the same jutsu, keeping Kaie in her head and brought them to the gates of a village she had seen once before. She landed softly as Kaie fell down with a thump. Kaie's crying became louder as she tried to say something.

She took this as an opportunity to put distance between the two of them, but some sticks broke under her weight. Kaie's head shot up before she ran towards the gates to come into contact with two guards. She took out two kunai and threw them at Kaie, purposely missing her daughter. One of the guards disappeared and came face to face with her, kunai ready at his hand.

"Why are you attacking that girl?" he demanded.

"Please," she pleaded with tears. "Take care of my little girl."

With that, she used the relocation jutsu once more and came to the front of the Sitoke compound. Kisho was waiting with her husband. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she ran forward to embrace her husband, tears streaming from her eyes.

"It's finally over," she cried.

"Everything will be fine Leiko," he comforted his wife. "Everything will be just fine."


	2. Chapter 2

She let her chin fall to rest on her arms. Whoever this person was, they were late. Extremely late. Kaie peeked from under her brown bangs at the other three in the room. Naruto and Sakura were arguing again. Sasuke sat perfectly still in the row across from her, not moving once after returning from lunch. There was no way it was humanly possible. Maybe he wasn't human. It could explain why all the girls fawned over him and how he was amazing at school. But his fancy skills didn't impress her; Kaie knew she could beat him in a fight. When Kaie first entered the academy, the Hokage told her to hold back her experience.

After she first entered the Leaf, the Hokage decided to put Kaie into the academy. He said it would be the best protection if Kaie became a Leaf ninja. To do that, she had to pretend to be on same level as her peers even if they were a year younger than her. The Hokage assured her that the group she was with was special when she complained. Looking around at new team, she only hoped his words were true.

Kaie let out an exasperated sigh. She wanted to return home to the vase of water lilies left in her room. The Hokage always got her lilies for her birthday, so she assumed they were from him. He treated her so nicely even though her clan was from the Hidden Mist Village. Perhaps he had connections with her clan. It would explain how he knew all of the traditions, not that Kaie didn't. Ever since the attack, it was hard for her to remember things from the past. The doctors said that the attack could have been traumatic enough for her to subconsciously block out the memories. But it shouldn't go that far back or last for four years.

She scratched her head. All this waiting was giving her too much time to think. It only left her with more questions then answers. Kaie brought her left hand to her right shoulder where one of her scars was. Scars, that's what Kaie felt like. Not seen or known by many; yet still there, hidden in plain sight. She didn't know how she got the scars; she always assumed it was from the attack. Every time Kaie would try to remember, she would draw up blanks. If the Hokade didn't tell her, Kaie wouldn't have known she was attacked in the first place. But why her? And how did she end up in the Leaf Village of all places?

Kaie glanced up at the clock. Only five minutes had passed. She fidgeted in her seat. How much longer was this person going to make them wait? When the teams were called, Team Seven was the only four-man cell. All the others consisted of three. Rumor was that Naruto supposedly failed. Perhaps he was placed randomly in a group. It would be Kaie's luck to have him on her team. She didn't mind Sakura, but her obsession with Sasuke was annoying. Hopefully she wouldn't make a habit out of it. And then there was Sasuke. He seemed like he would be hard to work with. That was fine with her. She performed better on her own. After all, Kaie was the most experienced member of the team, even if the others didn't know it.

As Kaie was about to start tracing finger on the desk, her train of thought was interrupted by Naruto's roaring laughter. She brought her attention to the door. There stood a masked jounin with an eraser in his hand. Naruto must have played a trick on him. Kaie noticed that the jounin's headband covered his left eye, but she figured it was to hide a scar. His white hair shot up from his crown and she distinctly remembered someone saying something about a white ninja. His hair reminded her about it.

"First impressions," he finally spoke, "are a bunch of idiots."

"Not all of us," Kaie remarked.

"Yes," Sakrua followed. "Please excuse Naruto! We tried to stop him."

"Well," he smiled, "it's stuffy in here, so let's go up to the roof for introductions."

"Umm…" Kaie was quiet out of fear for his answer. "May I ask why you were late?"

"Oh, that?" he looked up in thoughtful manner. "Simple. I helped an old lady carry her groceries home."

Everyone's mouth dropped. He was lying through his teeth. He had to be; there was no way that was true. The four genin exchanged looks and followed the jounin up to the roof. He sat on the railings in front of them and the rest sat on the steps. Sakura made sure she sat next to Sasuke. Her obsession might become a habit.

"Alright, introductions," said the jounin. "Say your name, things you like or don't, dreams, goals, hobbies. You know, stuff like that."

"Why don't you go first to show us?" Naruto suggested.

"Fine," he sighed. "I'm Kakashi Hatake. I don't want to talk about my likes and dislikes. I guess I haven't given much thought about dreams and the future. And hobbies, well, I have a lot. You on the right."

"My name's Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto said mostly to Kakashi. "I like ramen and trying different kinds of ramen. The three minutes it takes for the ramen to cook are the worst. My dream is to become Hokage so everyone can look up to me!"

"I'm Kaie Sitoke," Kaie spoke when Naruto finished. "I've never really thought of what I like and don't. You can say that I dislike the hospital even though I go there all the time. Umm… I like flowers. I also enjoy cooking. My goal is to confront my clan about… something…"

"Well I'm Sakura Haruno," Sakura continued, pointing to herself. "I know what I like… I mean the person I like… My hobbies…"

"Dislikes?" Kakshi pried as he saw her try to steal glances at Sasuke.

"Naruto!" she glared at the blond ninja.

"Great," the jounin commented sarcastically. "Last one."

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha," he said to no one in particular. "I only have a dream that will be reality. I will restore my clan and kill a certain person."

"Alright then," Kakashi clapped, completely ignoring Sasuke's last statement. Kaie frowned in disbelief of his action. Shouldn't something like that be addressed? "Tomorrow, we will meet at five on the training grounds. You guys have one last test before you become a real genin. Graduation was only to provide a group of potential ninja. The jounin are here to weed out those who won't make it and send them back to the academy. Also, don't eat. You will regret it. Dismissed."


	3. Chapter 3

Kaie looked in the mirror when she was done getting ready. It had been four years since she wore a headband and was on a team. Now it was different. She was a Leaf ninja and wasn't tied down with the responsibilities she held within the Sitoke clan. After four years of trying to fit in a village she wasn't a part of, Kaie was one of them. IF she passed this last exam.

It was still super early and Kaie could see thick fog outside her window. Her tummy growled when she walked into the kitchen. She knew Kakashi said not to eat, but she needed energy to gather and concentrate chakra. Besides, why would he care if she puked? It was her survival test, not his. Kaie grabbed two oranges on her way out to the training grounds.

The air was cold and the fog thicker than she had thought. Kaie peeled and ate her first orange, but felt a little uneasy. Almost like someone was watching her.

She turned around, half expecting to see Kakashi catch her eating food. However, in the areas of fog she could see, Kaie saw no one. Gulping, she continued walking and hoped the feeling would go away. As she walked further along, the feeling lingered and grew with every step. If Naruto was playing one his tricks again, she'd kill him. The feeling soon became too overwhelming and Kaie stopped walking to look around again.

"Hello?" Kaie called out. "Naruto? Whoever this is, this joke isn't funny anymore."

No answer. She was getting seriously nervous. It was all too real to her. Someone or something was definitely following her and it was getting closer. With a shaking hand, Kaie pulled out a kunai. Had they found out where she was hiding? They were coming to get her, just like before. This time she would be ready for them.

It crept closer, using the fog to conceal movement. Kaie stepped back, scanning the area in front of her. Closer again it came. She could almost hear footsteps. It kept coming. So close that she swore she could feel the hot air of breathing. They had her. She was going to die. Kaie stepped back in fear and bumped into something. Screaming, she turned to stab the person in hopes of getting them before they got her.

"Kaie!" her wrist was grabbed to stop her attack. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Sasuke?" she recognized his voice and dropped her kunai. Never before had she been so happy to see him and instinctively hugged him. "I'm so happy it's you. I thought I was going to die."

"I don't see how; we're the only people here," he remarked coldly. "And could you please let go of me."

"Sorry," she apologized while letting go. "I was really scared."

"I can tell," Sasuke picked up the kunai. "Let's go. I don't want to be late because of you."

"Right," her head dropped in embarrassment. "Sorry."

The two began to walk again in silence. Whatever the presence was, it was gone now. Kaie sighed in relief and looked at the boy next to her. He was remarkably influential with his presence. His suave expression was mesmerizing and almost cute. Almost. Kaie wasn't going to let herself fall to his charm, whatever it was. But she could see why he attracted all the girls. Sasuke had this sort of magnetism to him. It was practically contagious.

"Do you need something?" Sasuke asked a bit harshly. It was then that Kaie realized she had been staring at him this entire time.

"I thought I saw something," she lied while looking at the ground.

"Hn," he didn't believe her. Kaie blushed in embarrassment. That was the second time today he did that to her. Never, in the four years she has known Sasuke, has he been able to fluster her like he managed in the past ten minutes. "We're almost to the training grounds."

Kaie nodded even though she knew he wouldn't care. Trying to get her mind off of the awkward silence, Kaie remembered her other orange. She dug through her bag and found it. After peeling, she began to eat when she heard a low growl next to her. At first, Kaie thought it was the person from before, but she caught sight of Sasuke grasping his stomach. She let out a small smile for fear that a giggle would upset him even more. Her arm extended out to offer him a piece and at first he refused out of pride. The second growl contradicted his thoughts and Sasuke took a slice to swallow it in one bite.

She knew not to expect thanks in return and took back her orange. By now, the two of them reached the training grounds to find Naruto and Sakura arriving as well. They still had sleep in their eyes, but Sakura wiped hers away when she saw Sasuke.

"Sasuke!" Sakura ran up to him before eyeing the orange in Kaie's hand. "Kaie! Kakashi told us not to eat!"

"What can he do about it?" Kaie finished the orange. "Besides, he's going to be late again, so I don't think the orange will matter."

"How do you know?" Naruto asked.

"Showing up as late as he did yesterday, it has to be a habit," she answered.

The others stared at her like she was crazy. What kind of ninja makes a habit out of being late? However, Kaie was right. The sun had risen and Kakashi was still no where in sight. They waited about three hours past sunrise before Kakashi showed up. The four genin had slumped together and their stomachs growled in hunger.

"Welcome to your last test, Team Seven," Kakashi kneeled in front of them. He opened his eye to meet glares from his students.

"Why were you so late?" Naruto asked while getting up.

"Oh," Kakashi answered while pulling something out of his bag. "I had to take the long way because a black cat crossed my path."

"That's a lie," Sakura and Kaie called him out.

"Now," Kakashi placed a timer on a log. "When this timer goes off at noon, you'll need to have taken a bell from me. If you fail, you don't get lunch."

"That's why he said no breakfast," Sasuke muttered.

"To get the bells," continued Kakashi while holding up two bells, "you can use any weapon or jutsu. Those who don't have a bell at noon are tied to a post and have to watch me eat."

"Wait," Sakura said. "There's only two bells."

"Two people will get bells," added Kaie.

"So two will be tied to the post," Sasuke finished.

"That's not fair!" Naruto complained. "Only two will get lunch!"

"Then get used to being hungry," Kaie smirked. There was no way she was going to be tied to a post today.

"All four of you might not eat at all," Kakashi warned. "When I say go, try and take the bells. Ready?"

Before Kakashi could breathe, Naruto pulled out a kunai and lunged at their teacher. Kakashi moved into a defensive stance. He took Naruto's wrist, twisted his arm around, and pointed the kunai at his pupil's head. The other three stared, fascinated by Kakashi's reflexes and speed.

"We haven't started yet," Kakashi let go of Naruto. "Now then, go!"

Kaie jumped back, up in the trees. She decided that it was best to let the other three fight Kakashi first. Even at her skill level, she couldn't take on a jounin. If Kakashi could be worn down just a little, Kaie would be that much closer to a bell. She heard Naruto's voice ring throughout the grounds. Now would be a good time to move. Staying in one place would give Kakashi a better chance of finding her. There was another scream that sounded like Sakura.

Things were starting to get serious. Kaie activated her Ryukasumi, expecting Kakashi to be fighting Sasuke by now. That made her the only one left. Should she wait or go after him? Smoke rose from the trees and answered her question. She hurried to the clearing to hear Sakura's voice again, possibly in trouble. Upon arriving, Kaie found her fainted on the ground.

"Again?" Kaie asked herself.

"She's fainted before?" came a voice from the ground.

"Sasuke?" Kaie laughed when she saw him buried up to his head. She placed her hand on the ground and used her chakra to push Sasuke up and the rocks away.

"I didn't need your help," he remarked.

"Thank you would work," she complained.

"If you're going to fight Kakashi, don't take him as a joke," Sasuke warned. "He's strong, so be careful Kaie."

"Is that concern I hear?" Kaie teased. "I'll be fine. I'm a lot stronger than you think."

She left Sasuke and Sakura and began to look for Kakashi. He was back where the posts were, reading a book. Naruto was tied to a post, but it wasn't too surprising. Kaie took out a kunai and began her attack. Kakashi also took out a kunai of his own and blocked her.

"I was wondering when you would attack," Kakashi said.

"I waited for you to fight the others," she replied.

"I see you activated your Ryukasumi, Kaie," Kakashi put away his book. "I guess I don't need to explain the three different attack styles to you. Do you remember your jutsu?"

"More or less," Kaie began to weave hand signs. "I remembered a few while at the academy. Water Style: Water Whip Jutsu."

Water from the lake shot up in a thin stream and swung at Kakashi. He dodged it, but it recoiled and swung back. While he was distracted, Kaie ran at him to try and grab a bell. She dropped her jutsu and reached, but Kakashi used a substitution to get behind her. Kaie blocked his punch and tried to kick him. He pushed them away from each other and they landed on the ground.

"That's not your best," said Kakashi. "You won't get a bell that way."

"Dragon Style: Dragon Claw Jutsu!" Kaie caved to his insult. She slammed her hands on the ground and multiple claws came up to grab Kakashi from behind. To avoid it, he jumped forward and Kaie lunged for a bell. As the ringing came to her ear, she stopped.

_"Kaie, you can't let your team rely on you like that," a male voice scolded._

_"But I always come through," Kaie complained._

_"What if you fail?" he argued. "You could run out of chakra and then what? You and the others could die. Put them first, not you. It's not teamwork if only one of you is the team."_

Teamwork. That was the key. The four of them could attack Kakashi all the wanted alone, but he was too skilled. By working together, Kakashi would be sure to drop his guard long enough for a bell to be snatched. The two bells were just a distraction to discourage teamwork.

"I can't do this alone," Kaie whispered.

"Hmm...?" Kakashi heard her.

"I can't take a bell," Kaie repeated as the timer rang. "Only Team Seven can."

"Good," Kakashi smiled. "You understand."


	4. Chapter 4

"What is it, Kisho?" Leiko sat down behind her desk. "I have a summoning from the Mizukage."

"All the more reason for me to talk to you," Kisho smiled. Leiko wasn't humored by his actions. "Anyways, I have an update for you."

"On what?" she began tapping her finger on the desk to show her irritation.

"That cutie of yours," he caught her attention. "She's an official Leaf ninja now."

"The lead jounin?" Leiko asked anxiously.

"Kakashi Hatake," Kisho pulled out a cigarette and rolled it between his fingers. "I made sure myself. He's also up to date on the plan."

"Good," she let out a sigh of relief. "Who else is on her team?"

"Sakura Haruno," he started, "Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto Uzumaki."

"A four man cell?"

"There were an odd number of graduates. I doubt that's your concern though."

"You're right, it's those two. I can see why the Hokage did that though. Listen, Kisho. Pass this on to the Hokage: Kaie doesn't leave the village if he can avoid it. I know that the missions they get can't all come from the village. More importantly, she absolutely cannot, under any circumstances, leave the Land of Fire. If she does, then everything could be ruined."

"Understood."

"And Kisho…"

"I know, I know. Blue lilies."

Kisho waved Leiko off after putting his cigarette in his mouth and lighting it. She sighed. Kisho was a great informant, but a pain in her ass as well. His eccentric behavior wasn't her problem right now. All she could hope for was that he would behave himself. The Mizukage wanted to see her. Leiko let her fist hit the desk. There was only one reason why the Mizukage ever summoned her.

"What a pain," she complained while grabbing her robe. The next step was crucial. Leiko knew that she couldn't keep Kaie under so many limitations. She would catch on and start questioning the Hokage. Even worse, Kaie could become rebellious and leave the Hidden Leaf and the Land of Fire altogether. Then there were those exams the Hidden Leaf and allied villages held every year or so. How was Leiko going to keep an eye on Kaie then? Kisho can't always watch over her, it would be too obvious. She needed more eyes in the Leaf. But she had to do it so the Mizukage wasn't too suspicious of her actions. There had to be something she could do.

* * *

><p>'Just who is that man? Why did I suddenly remember him?'<p>

Kaie was still puzzled from the sudden memory. She was glad she had it, or Team Seven would have failed. Ever since then, she tried to bring back some of her memories, but only that one would appear. What made her remember? It was all too confusing.

And the man. Kaie didn't see a face, but she had a feeling that he was important. Maybe he was her father; that would explain his importance. No, he mentioned a team. A mentor perhaps? She couldn't remember her old teammates, so there was a possibility he could have been one of them. He could even have been her old sensei.

"Kaie?" a female voice asked. "Kaie? We're done."

"Oh," Kaie broke out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Kaie," the nurse smiled. "You can get dressed now."

"Right," Kaie slipped her fishnets over the black tank top. "Did you find anything?"

"The scar on you back is healing fine," the nurse said as Kaie fixed the black obi over her strapless gray asymmetrical dress. "It should fade in a few years."

"What about my arm?" questioned Kaie.

"I can't find any kind of skin re-coloration. Also, there's no way to tell what is causing the pain. You said it just appeared recently, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then keep a record of when they come up, where, how long, and the intensity. I'll inform Kakashi about this. Come back next week and I'll take a look again. Maybe with that information, we can figure out the cause."

"Alright, I'll make sure to do that."

"Congratulations on becoming a genin, Kaie. I know you'll become a fine kunoichi."

"Thanks," Kaie picked up her headband and left. It had been a while since someone gave her a compliment like that. After living alone for such a long time, she was used to people ignoring the things she has done. Sure, Kaie had friends, but bragging wasn't something she was fond of. It was different, but she liked it. So why? If praise was such a good thing, then why was she crying?

She couldn't cry. Ninja were never supposed to show their emotions. Kaie couldn't face her team like this. They would all laugh at her, especially Sasuke. And if they heard what she was crying over, they would all laugh harder. Something as simple as a compliment shouldn't bring her to tears like that. It was practically embarrassing.

Kaie stopped by her apartment to pick up a notepad and pencil. She was willing to do anything to get rid of those pains. Sometimes they were unbearable. It was almost getting to the point where she couldn't hide it anymore. The pains showed how weak she was and it was frustrating. Kaie was sure that Kakashi or Sasuke didn't have problems like this. All of it was a gap that pushed her further apart from her team.

Today, Kakashi said they were going to do some light training. Kaie knew she was going to be late to the meeting spot, but ten minutes weren't going to be such a big deal compared to the hours Kakashi would make them wait. What did that jounin do that required so much time? Also, if he knew he was always late, why didn't he tell them to meet at a later time to compensate for his tardiness? That way, it wouldn't seem that he was forgetting all about his team.

To no one's surprise, Kakashi was significantly late again. Naruto and Sakura scolded him about it and his lousy excuse. Kaie couldn't blame them. This damn habit of his was starting to get on her nerves as well. After the punctuality spat, Kakashi revealed his plans for them. First would be team building exercises – something they definitely needed. A little sparring would follow and then they were to take it easy before their first official mission together.

During the entire time Kakashi was talking, Kaie could see him look at her. The nurse must have told him about her situation already. He didn't say anything to the others, but kept a close eye on her. Kaie made sure not to show any change in facial expression and during breaks, she would log any pain that she got.

For majority of training, Kaie didn't experience much pain to her relief. Moving around seem to help ease it. It could also be that she was focused on her tasks enough to not notice the pain if it came up. The hardest part was sparring. She couldn't tell if the pain was from her or her sparring partner. Sasuke was the worst too. His taijutsu was better than Kaie had anticipated. She won the fight, but during one of her punches, she hesitated after some pain shot up in her shoulder. She was sure that Sasuke saw it. If he did, then he didn't take any note of it.


End file.
